The Storyteller Section
The Storyteller is the player who agrees to open the way into the Waking Shadowlands, so that the other players may send their Avatars through the Ring. Incursions Three Act Structure: Bazaar, Pursuit and Showdown To keep sessions concise, stories will follow a simple three act structure. Each Act contains two scenes, separated by a sequel (These are explained in their own sections). This means that each session has the following flow: SCENE - SEQUEL - SCENE - SCENE - SEQUEL - SCENE - SCENE - SEQUEL - SCENE The Bazaar The First Act is called the Bazaar. This is where the players are introduced to the story and the premise and the world. They are here given a certain amount of time to gather research and intel and resources. The Bazaar has a very clear ticking clock, with penalties being accrued based upon time spent gathering resources and information. The players must balance their desire to prepare with the penalties that delaying action generates. The Storyteller will provide a broad sense of the penalty when players ask about obtaining a resource or information. These penalties will take the form of Story Elements (see below). The storyteller will provide the players with either the point value of the element, the primary effect of the element, or the reversal of the element, but not all three. The players will then have to decide if the cost is worth the penalty accrued. Remember that all Story Elements can be reversed (see the Reversals explanation below), and so even these penalties could be used by the players to their Avatar's advantage. The Pursuit The Second Act is called The Pursuit. This is where the players have their Avatars pursue the goal of the session, often in the form of a Story Element. The Showdown The Third Act is called The Showdown. This is the Grand Finale of the session and the resolution to the story. This is not necessarily the resolution of any overarching Myth Arcs that the Storyteller has been developing. This is the final battle with arch enemy. This is the heist itself after planning and preparation. This is the attack run on the Death Star. Parts of a Scene Scenes, Sequels and Disasters Scenes are the meat and potatoes of the story. Sequels are the beverage. Disasters are the herbs and spices. A Scene is a self contained set of story related challenges that the players must use their Avatars to overcome. A Sequel is a short moment of downtime that allows the players to confer and adjust plans, and basically have a mini-Bazaar (see that section above). A disaster is a logical surprise that should end every scene. Every scene should have a story question. Going back to the original 'Star Wars: A New Hope'; while trapped on the Death Star the question is simple: will they escape the Death Star? The answer to this question is either yes or no. The Disaster is the 'however' that should include every answer. In the case from Star Wars just mentioned: "Will our heroes escape the Death Star?", the answer is "yes, however Obi-Won Kenobi sacrifices himself to help them escape". That's a disaster. If there are unresolved Story Elements on the table when a scene ends, then the Storyteller should use an existing Story Element to generate the disaster if at all possible. If the storyteller feels it is necessary to introduce a new Story Element, then they should provide a benefit of that Story Element at the same time so as not to make the revelation feel unfair. In such cases the benefit will frequently be relevant plot information Phases of a Scene The Scene is divided into Phases. A Scene will generally have between one and five phases. A combat encounter is a scene, and phases determine how difficult the enemy is to defeat. A heist is a Act (typically the Pursuit or Showdown) and the various locks and security systems would be scenes. Story Elements and a Preview of Archetypes Story Elements Story Elements are active variables in the adventure session. They can be exploited by the storyteller and the players. Story Elements are placed by the Storyteller, either put into the central pool or attached to individual players. A Story Element is written down on a sheet of paper by the Storyteller when it is introduced and placed on the table of play. The Story Element includes a value, generally between one and three, but theoretically as high as the Storyteller deems necessary. The value indicates the impact that the element has upon actions in the story. Using a Story Element to ones advantage results in a bonus for the individual doing so, potentially up to the full value of the Element (though not necessarily, Storyteller is the final judge). Running a foul of a Story Element results in the individual suffering a penalty up to a maximum of the element's value (again, based upon the Storyteller's decision). The Storyteller will define a default impact of a Story Element when it is introduced. Players may seek to to subvert the default effect in ways that are logical and pleasing to the flow of the story. This is known as a reversal. An Example: The players have entered the Showdown. The Villain has been exposed and is fleeing from the Players' Avatars. He charges out of the building into the pouring rain. The Storyteller adds a Story Element with the Title of "Driving Rain", a value of '2', and a default impact of 'slippery footing'. This means that individuals running through the rain or doing other things requiring sure footing will suffer a penalty of one or two as the Storyteller feel appropriate. One of the player's Avatars catches up with the Villain of the day. The player announces that she would like to use a reversal of the Story Element 'slippery footing' by performed a sweep kick against the Villain to trip him. The Storyteller confirms that this is a reasonable reversal and allows the player to gain a bonus of two in her attempt to trip the Villain. Archetype Elements Upon reaching the Realm of Arcadia, Players will have the opportunity to voluntarily add a Story Element to their Avatar called an Archetype. Archetypes provide several bonuses a several penalties while also providing a strong gameplay focus. This can be ignored in the Quick play rules as the Adventures included in the Quick Play all take place in the Realm of the Foglands. For future reference, the archetypes are: Raven, Viper, Owl, Rabbit, and Wolf. Players may notice, while exploring the first adventures, that the archetypes relate strongly to the mythology of the Shadowlands. It is for this reason that the archetypes are mentioned here. Sources * Blood Red Dreaming Blog: Story Elements and a Preview of Archetypes * Blood Red Dreaming Blog: Parts of a Scene * Blood Red Dreaming Blog: Three Act Structure